To the Dow Magnum Vertical, Thursday 17th January 2013, at The Bung Hole, two ports were brought that cannot be named. What we do know is that

Harvest dates - 2000 and 2011 respectively

Both "vinho generoso" - traditional name for fortified wines - privately made for family use, not commercial wines, from a quinta in the Cima Corgo / Douro Superior, which faces SW over the river. Both pure touriga nacional. Treaded in traditional stone lagares but with a mechanical treader which has feather-like paddles that sort of spread out and brush the bottom gently as they tread.

2000 has been ageing in small cask in the cellar of his house in the Douro, around 500 m altitude, north of the river, was bottled for me from cask last autumn, so October, November?

2011 was bottled early to mid summer 2012 from the tonel at his adega (which is at the quinta) when he was shifting the wine out of the adega ahead of 2012 harvest. The rest, I believe, has gone into small pipes at his house. I tasted this wine in January 2012 at the adega, as well. I remember thinking it tasted incredibly balanced and complete, not single-casta, like the pure Touriga Nacionals I had been tasting at Malvedos during harvest.

The maker is a professional viticulturist, some of his finished ports are sold to a top shipper, some of his grapes are sold to make a Douro DOC wine which is not yet available in the UK, only in Portugal, Holland and Brussels. The quinta has been in his family for many generations.

Hence this thread appears in the Port Conversations § rather than the Tasting Notes §.

2000 "Pale orange-brown, green rim. Lots of VA on the nose showing barrel aging, lots of crushed nuts. Light but lively on the palate, fresh and feminine. Plenty of acidity with tones of tobacco and smoke; generous levels of citrus. Gentle acidity, long and elegant finish. Nutty and delightful, full of orange peel. Huge length. A very fine colheita.

Served blind I guessed this to be a Graham 1968 colheita. It was identified as being a private reserve 2000 vintage colheita, pure Touriga Nacional, aged in the Douro in small casks and bottled in 2012." 89/100

2011 Deep orange colour, with a lighter rim. Subdued tawny / colheita nose. More youthful that the previous sample (the 2000) but with a hint of Douro bake on the palate; plenty of sweet fruit and soaked raisins. Lovely raisin finish and a delightful length. This was again identified as an experimental port, made from pure Touriga Nacional, matured in large wooden casks in the Douro, a private family reserve bottled in 2012. 90/100.